Builders Face Higher Costs Under New House-Move Rule

But here’s something to think about, could moving houses only at night actually make things riskier? And what about the builders? They might now have to pay extra to get crews working those late hours. These are some of the concerns being raised, and we put those questions directly to CEO Williams to get his take.

 

Chester Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Transport

“ Well, at the end of the day, they want to move their houses.  It’ll come with a cost to them. They will have to take the cost. And again, we are strict that these escorts must have two vehicles, one lead vehicle and one rear guard. And, these vehicles must have proper lighting. And likewise, the vehicle that is carrying the house must also have proper lighting and proper how do you call it? The thing that is going to make road users know the measurement of the house that is on the highway. Okay. They must have all those things in place to be able to traverse on the highways. And if it is that they’re found on the highway without these things that we have stipulated then they’re going to be to be sanctioned. I have seen many occasions as we stand now, that many a times, these houses are moved on the highways at nighttime and there is no reflector on a house to show that a house is in in front of you. At one point I almost ran into one because there was nothing to show that the house was on the highway. We need to make sure that, again, that there’s proper lighting to notify road users. Of the presence of the houses on the highway as they traverse.”

 

According to Williams, a meeting is scheduled with industry stakeholders to discuss the changes being implemented.